The National Weather Service in Jackson issues a number of products for the fire weather community. These include forecasts for fire planning purposes, specific spot forecasts for use in controlled burns and warnings/watches for dangerous fire conditions. The page below offer a brief explanation of each product, and links to a current example of each product.

The Fire Weather Forecast is a forecast of several parameters considered helpful or crucial to fire weather operations. These include several indices, as well as temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The forecast is issued twice daily -- by 6am, and again around 3pm.

The Fire Weather Forecast is a forecast of several parameters considered helpful or crucial to fire weather operations. These include several indices, as well as temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The forecast is issued twice daily -- by 7am, and again around 3pm.

The Zone Fire Weather Matrix is a two hourly forecast of several parameters considered helpful or crucial to fire weather operations. These include several indices, as well as temperature, humidity, winds, mixing heights, and precipitation for each zone (or county). The information in the matrix is a more detailed view of the Fire Weather Forecast. The forecast is issued twice daily -- by 7am, and again around 3pm.

A Fire Weather Spot Forecast is issued per the request of a forestry official needing specific weather information for a specific location. This information is usually requested for a controlled burn but may also be requested in the event of an unintentional fire.

Red Flag Warnings are considered when critical meteorological conditions develop which could lead to extensive wildfire occurrences. A Red Flag Warning is issued to warn of impending or actual occurrence of a red flag event (which is a threat to life and property from fire). The following criteria is used to issue both a Red Flag Warning and a Fire Weather Watch.

A Fire Weather Watch is issued to advise of high fire danger for the fire districts. The criteria remains the same as for the Red Flag Warning. Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches do not rely solely on the meteorological conditions, but also take into account factors such as fuel moisture, extent of curing of fuels, and fuel types.